The Secret Garden, retold by Mandy Archer for BabyLit. Can classic literature like this work for small kids?

As a kid, I was a big reader. A really big reader. I started reading at a very early age and devoured books. And The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett, was one of my all-time favourites.

I distinctly remember, as a little girl, sitting under the kitchen table and reading it. Hodgson Burnett pulled me away from my noisy house, full of noisy sisters, and transported me back in time. Back to gloomy Misselthwaite Manor, to strange noises in the night and to an enchanting discovery.

So when I saw BabyLit had brought out The Secret Garden, I was really keen to get a copy. And to see whether they’ve managed to make a novel like The Secret Garden suitable for younger kids.

..well, not just suitable. Suitable and desirable.

About BabyLit

But first, a little bit about BabyLit.

BabyLit is a series of books introducing toddlers and preschoolers to classic literature.

The idea is that they introduce the next generation of early readers to the classics in a chic and modern way.

Or, as they say themselves…

BabyLit® primers have become the chic, smart way to introduce babies to the most beloved and readable literature of our time.

So, that’s what they say. But what does Empty Nest Mummy say?

…and what does my helper, Littlest Angel, make of The Secret Garden, retold by Mandy Archer for BabyLit?

Our first impressions?

Before we even started with the story, we had a good look at the book itself.

It’s a good, sturdy board book with thick card pages. No easily tearable pages. Robust enough for a small child to sit and look at themselves. Robust enough to withstand a bit of sibling tug-of-war.

Practicality box ticked.

And the cover?

Mary Lennox, on the cover, looks just as I imagined her all those years ago, when I was under the kitchen table getting peace and quiet from my noisy family. She is utterly captivated by the birdsong of a little robin, sitting in a beautiful garden, surrounded by flowers.

But the really clever thing is that, although the character is exactly as I remember her, even down to her Victorian clothing, the cover is modern and stylish. The illustrator, Jane Newland, has used a beautiful palate of tasteful but vibrant greens and glorious pinks to bring the garden to life.

It feels like I’m peeping in through the flowers framing the cover into a Secret Garden. And I can’t wait to dive in!

Mum-appeal box ticked.

The Secret Garden: the story

The Secret Garden must have been a tricky story to bring to life in a way suitable for younger children.

…just think about the start of the tale.

A ‘sour, disagreeable girl’ is living in India with parents who were too busy to look after her.

(…poor child)

Then a disease comes and kills her too-busy-to-be-bothered parents.

(…could it get any worse?)

And she gets shipped off to dreary England to a depressing house on the edge of a moor.

(…yep…. seems so)

And the owner of this gloomy house?

A morose widow called Mr Craven who looks ready to top himself.

(…dear God above, this is supposed to be a kids’ tale)

But, there are secrets afoot, and a mystery to be uncovered. And, just in case you’ve never read it, an enchanting discovery.

And….. well…. I can’t tell you more for risk of spoiling it.

But it does have a happy ending.

A delightfully happy ending.

BabyLit Storybook’s Secret Garden: What I Liked

No, what I loved actually.

You know already that I loved the illustrations on the cover.

I also loved the illustrations throughout. Jane Newland really captured the utter pain of poor widowed Mr Craven.

As he looks as the portrait of his beautiful, but dead, wife, you can almost hear the sound of his heart breaking.

And take a look at the scene where Mary Lennox discovers Colin Craven.

Zoom in on his pale sickly face. On the dark shadows under his eyes.

And then compare that to the lovely Dickon. Just seeing this beautiful boy, toiling away happily in the garden, reminds me of how much of a crush I had on him.

Don’t you just want to kiss those rosy little cheeks?

…he was probably one of my first literary crushes!

 

So the pictures are great. What about the words?

The original The Secret Garden was published in 1911 and, as such, uses the kind of language and vocabulary that we don’t anymore. And certainly not the kind of vocabulary that the recommended 3 to 5 year readers will readily use.

But, the BabyLit version of this classic tale has been very thoughtfully retold by Mandy Archer. She very skillfully condenses the whole story into a much shorter version for younger kids without losing any of the nuances of the tale. But also dropping anything too disturbing for the younger reader.

Mandy has also really skillfully dropped in quotes from the original text.

So, when the sour-faced Mrs Medlock meets Mary at the docks, she says, with scowly face…

“My word! She’s a plain little piece of goods!”

Being a big fan of the original book, I loved that.

I loved that the modern BabyLit version retains a real feel of the original.

What did the Littlest Angel think of The Secret Garden?

Littlest Angel, just turned five, my main reviewer for this book, absolutely loved the story. She spent a lot of time looking at the pictures, noticing how terribly sad Mary Lennox was and how cross Mrs Medlock looked.

She’s a very good reader for her age, so read it from cover to cover herself, just needing help with some of the more old-fashioned words and phrases like ‘disagreeable’.

(She has since described someone as ‘rather disagreeable’ so it clearly made an impression on her!)

The Secret Garden: Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?

A resounding Thumbs Up from the Empty Nest Mummy and kids. BabyLit have managed to retell a classic tale perfectly for younger kids.

Now, the recommended age is 3 to 5. But I think it has way way more scope that that.

With it’s sturdy, surely unbreakable, board pages, and its compelling artwork, this would be great for much younger kids too.

There’s so much going on in the illustrations that you could easily play ‘spot the….’ with toddlers.

And then snuggle down and read them the story. And, when they’re a bit older and can read independently, you can lie off and let them read to you.

The Secret Garden from BabyLit

Really highly recommended.

Great for birthday presents from toddlers up to at least 6 year olds.

And, actually, an amazing gift for a new baby. Or a christening gift.

There’s no need to wait to introduce kids to great literature…

..especially when it’s this beautifully illustrated.

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